JOIN USVijay Kumar, the police sub-inspector who was shot dead in the police station and the constable Anand Kumar, who shot him, were from the same batch of 1996 and joined the police force as constables.
While Anand Kumar started his career as a constable at Chikmagalur, Vijay Kumar was posted at the Ulsoor traffic police station in the City. Anand Kumar, who hails from Gauribidanur, stayed at the quarters next to Rajanakunte police station. His family lives in their hometown.
Vijay Kumar’s is a family of police officials hailing from Bellapatna, a small village near Channapatna. His father B Shivabeeraiah retired as a circle inspector in the late 90s. Vijay Kumar's half-brother B S Shantha Kumar also works with the department and is presently DySP in Gangavathi. Vijay Kumar served at the Ulsoor traffic police station for 10 years.
He was promoted in 2006 and transferred to Bescom, Vigilance, where he served for four years. In 2010, he passed a departmental exam and became a sub-inspector. He underwent training for an year in Gulbarga and later did his probation in Bellary and Ramanagar. He was given the independent charge of a station just a month ago. He took charge at Rajanakunte police station in mid-December.
Vijay Kumar married Sowbhagyalakshmi, daughter of Muniyappa and Gowramma from Babusapalya 16 years ago. The couple have two children Mukta, 12, a class VII student and Varshith, 10, a class V student studying at St Vincent Pallotti School, Babusapalya.
The body of Vijay Kumar was kept at Yelahanka Government Hospital. Initially, his wife Sowbhagyalakshmi and mother were informed about Vijay Kumar’s death.
They were kept in a room next to the hospital saying that Vijay Kumar was being operated upon. However, when the news was revealed to them, his wife and children broke down. Vijay Kumar's sister Vijayamma too was inconsolable.
Vijay Kumar's father-in-law, Muniyappa said the sub-inspector was like a son to him. Vijay Kumar's body was shifted to Victoria Hospital where autopsy was conducted on the body and later handed over to the grieving family.
Mallesh, a constable with the Indiranagar traffic police and a batchmate of Vijay Kumar, told Deccan Herald that Vijay Kumar had earned a reputation for himself in the department.
He said Vijay Kumar was at the station only for a month now and that it was too less a time to develop enmity with anyone. The family said they suspected that there was more to the story than the alleged harassment.
Mallesh told Deccan Herald: “Vijay Kumar was also a constable for 14 years and it is only in the last two years that he was a sub-inspector. He wouldn't get into harassing a constable or insulting him.”
It’s not the first incident
There have been several similar instances in Karnataka’s history. The first recorded instance was of a sub-inspector named Perumal opening fire at the Raichur SP, in the erstwhile Mysore state. The incident allegedly occured over harassment.
A similar incident took place in Shimoga when a subordinate officer shot at an SP a few years ago. The latest incident occured on February 16, 2009 in Mysore. A frustrated police constable chased an inspector, shot at him and later killed himself in full public view in the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) campus.
Shivakumar, 33, of the KSRP’s 5th battalion, armed with an SLR rifle, opened fire at inspector Nage Gowda, 52. Gowda had suspended Shivakumar for indiscipline. He was later reinstated.
There have been several similar instances in Karnataka’s history. The first recorded instance was of a sub-inspector named Perumal opening fire at the Raichur SP, in the erstwhile Mysore state. The incident allegedly occured over harassment.
A similar incident took place in Shimoga when a subordinate officer shot at an SP a few years ago. The latest incident occured on February 16, 2009 in Mysore. A frustrated police constable chased an inspector, shot at him and later killed himself in full public view in the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) campus.
Shivakumar, 33, of the KSRP’s 5th battalion, armed with an SLR rifle, opened fire at inspector Nage Gowda, 52. Gowda had suspended Shivakumar for indiscipline. He was later reinstated.